


The Dresser

by wonderwanda



Category: ER (TV 1994)
Genre: F/M, Seattle, dropping the kiddos off at school
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-12 23:49:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28768848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wonderwanda/pseuds/wonderwanda
Summary: Doug and Carol drive down to Portland to drop the girls off at college.
Relationships: Carol Hathaway/Doug Ross
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	The Dresser

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bamboo72498](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bamboo72498/gifts).



The car is packed from bottom to top with Tess and Kate squished together in the middle seat amongst their belongings. 

As they get closer to Portland, Carol speaks. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to handle this. Our girls are all grown up and leaving the house.” 

“Mom, please.” Kate knees the back of Carol’s seat with frustrated embarrassment.

“You promised you’d keep it together until we were by ourselves.” A smirk creeps across Doug’s face.

“I know, but look at them. I feel like it was just yesterday I packed us all into the car and--”

“No one wants to hear that story again!” Tess whines, looking to Kate for agreement. Her sister obliges before Tess can make eye contact. 

“Seriously, no one.” 

“I also would like to remind you both that it’s never too late to transfer to Willamette and study nursing.” 

The girls both groan in unison. 

“It is forty minutes farther away.” Doug chimes, laughing. 

“That’s a good point.” Kate raises her eyebrows. “Tess?” 

Tess crosses her arms with a frustrated sigh, and Kate shrugs. 

Soon after, they pull into the parking lot nearest to the girls’ dorm at Lewis and Clark. Kate can’t live without her longboard, and Tess can’t live without her extensive library. They repurpose the longboard into a dolly, and roll all of their things into their room. After everything is unloaded, Carol speaks: 

“So! You girls want to get unpacking? Go get something to eat?” She puts her arm around Tess. 

“I think we’re just gonna go explore.” Kate tosses her last box on the bed. 

“Yeah, actually a bunch of people in our hall were going to go to Powell’s.” 

“Do you know how to get down there? Do you want a ride?” 

“We’re all going to bus downtown then walk. I guess it’s not that far.” 

“Oh,” Carol is surprised, “ok.” 

“Come on, let’s get out of their hair.” Doug squeezes Carol’s shoulder. “It’s not like they’re moving back to Chicago.” 

She hits him in the chest. 

“Ok girls,” Doug steps forward, “your mom and I will be in town until tomorrow. I know you’re going to make some stupid decisions while you’re here, just make sure they aren’t too stupid.” 

“Don’t do anything you wouldn’t do, right Doug?” Kate sasses, Tess lets out a chortle along with her mom. 

“I didn’t say that.” 

“Yeah Doug.” Carol teases. 

“Ok, everyone in for a hug.” On Doug’s insistence, they all pile together. Carol tries, but can’t hold it together any longer and starts to cry. Tess breaks the hug first. 

“Ok dad, pony up. You promised.” She holds her hand out. 

“Doug, what is she talking about.” Carol sniffles as he reaches into his pocket. 

“Dad bet us that he could keep you from crying until you guys got back on the road. It was easy money.” Kate laughs. 

As he unfolds two twenties, he looks at the girls. “Don’t spend it all on beer, ok?” 

“Doug!” Carol smiles incredulously. “I can’t believe you.” 

“Come on honey, let’s go before the RA has to kick us out.” 

“Alright.” She addresses the girls. “We’re only three hours away. I want you to remember that. It’s not far.” 

“Carol.” 

“Ok, ok, ok.” Her eyes well up again, and she opens her arms for a hug. “I love you girls so much.” 

“Love you too mom.” 

“Love you.” 

*** 

Doug has made arrangements for them to stay in a cute boutique hotel for the evening before heading home. They settle into a booth at the brick-walled bar and order a drink. 

“Well,” Doug starts, “we did it. They’ll still probably end up in therapy but we did it.” 

Carol laughs. “Kinda miraculous, don’t you think?” 

“I think we made a pretty good team.” 

“I don’t know, I’m still worried.” 

“Come on, how do you think Weaver would rate us?” 

“Man, I haven’t thought about her in years. I wonder what she’s doing right now?” 

“I don’t.” Doug chuckles, sipping his drink. 

“What are we going to do when we get home? The house is going to be so quiet.” 

“It’s not all bad,” Doug takes another sip, “at least we won’t be fending off incoming lacrosse balls.” 

“I guess that’s true.” Carol laughs, remembering the time Kate broke her mother’s favorite vase. She’d pretended to be angry but she’d always thought it was ugly, so her daughter had actually done them all a favor. “The girls have great aim.”

“They got that from me.” Carol smacks him on the arm, smiling. “It’s true.” 

Later that evening, after they’re settled into their room, Carol lays on top of the covers as Doug brushes his teeth. She sighs. 

“I don’t want to go back to work tomorrow.” 

After a moment, Doug joins her. 

“What, are you just going to lay in bed and do nothing forever?” 

“Is that a choice?” 

Doug rolls over in bed and kisses her before shutting the lights off. 

***  
After a long, mostly silent drive, they return to Seattle. Carol pours herself a glass of wine as Doug sneaks out to the shed. Just as she starts to worry about him, he reappears with a large, wrapped box. 

“What’s that?” 

“Open it.” He hands her the box. 

“Oh, it’s heavy.” Doug nods. She takes a confused second to try and make sense of what it is before unwrapping it. When she pulls it out of the box, her eyes well up. It’s a drawer from her dresser in Chicago. 

“How long have you had this?” 

“Flip it over.” Inside the drawer is a collage of family pictures: wedding photographs; a picture of the two of them with Mark and Susan; the girls at prom; and graduation. (Both kindergarten and high school.) 

“Oh my god Doug, this is beautiful.” 

“I thought we could put it where your mom’s vase used to sit.” Doug smirks. “I always hated that thing. I’m glad Kate made that shot, I only gave her one chance.” 

“Doug!” Carol laughs. “I hated it too.” 

“Now we have something better to put in its place.” 

Carol nods, then pauses. 

“You know what I can’t believe?” 

“What’s that?” Doug sets the drawer down in its rightful place.

“That you bet the girls you could keep me from crying before we left.” 

“The easiest money they’d ever made in their lives.” 

“Oh, no question.” 

Doug smiles, and pulls Carol into a long, amorous kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> I am SO sorry this is so late, winter totally kicked my ass. Domestic D/C was a dream prompt to work with. I live in Portland and have spent most of my life in the Pacific Northwest, so I couldn’t resist having them go to school here. 
> 
> I hope you had a lovely holiday, hopefully this is a worthy late present ❤️


End file.
